under the weather

I have a cold. Perhaps this might have something to do with wading through waist deep water in the Catacombs, or maybe from leaving the hostel with wet hair each morning for 3 days in a row, shock horror. In any case, I have a cold.

This afternoon I left the flat just once. I wanted to buy some spices for making mulled wine. (Yes, I know it's a little early in the season for mulled wine but I needed its medicinal value!!)

During that small excursion 5 things happened:

1. The lady at the tourist office was SO lovely. Perhaps it's just that after being in Paris everyone seems inordinately friendly, but no, this woman was really very helpful indeed and showed me where I could find a real épicerie to buy proper spices :)
2. I saw the police arresting an old man. I like to think that he was hardened member of Brive's criminal underground. (ie. it must be so boring to be a bobby in this town.)
3. The security guard in the supermarket helped me to find the spices I needed, and then came looking for me twice, just to make sure I'd got the right ones. ("Mademoiselle, you did take cinnamon sticks and not powdered cinnamon, didn't you, yes? Good, good, that's very important", "Ah Mademoiselle, thank goodness I found you, you did remember the oranges didn't you? you must have sliced orange for mulled wine! oh you have some, oh that's good"... etc.)
4. The cashier and the wee old lady in front of me in the queue talked to me about seasonal jams (apparently green tomato, quince and fig are the flavours of the moment peeps).
5. On my way home I saw one of my pupils who said "hello" to me, very prettily, in her best English accent.

The end.